Total Quality Management (TQM)

TQM is more than statistics and quality control. Today, it is considered a framework for business excellence. It encompasses all aspects of an organisation to its full extent, including its suppliers and customers. These aspects include traceability, competence, validation of processes, knowledge of the quality attributes of products and measurement of these attributes and monitoring of quality attributes through quality control activities. It makes use of tools such as basic quantitative statistical techniques and other data collection and analysis tools, such as auditing and management review. A key tenant of the TQM approach is the philosophy of continuous improvement. Further information about TQM is described in Total Quality Management: Savour your Business Improvement Opportunities.

There are a number of approaches to TQM. These include the ISO 9000 style of approach, the Australian Business Excellence Framework, the Baldridge Award and the Deming Prize. Each approach contends that adoption of its principles can deliver significant business improvement opportunities to all aspects of business performance including profitability, market share and business growth.

At MAS Management Consultancy Services, we are able to assist your organisation to adopt the principles of TQM. We have skills in the use of the tools of TQM and continuous improvement, statistics and the scientific approach, as well as practical experience in the implementation of a TQM program.

TQM links